


Crimson

by sugarlevels



Category: Gintama
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Character Death, Friendship, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 15:47:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15198083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarlevels/pseuds/sugarlevels
Summary: Gintoki has the burden of having to kill his dear friend, but also the honour to be with him in his final moments.





	Crimson

**Author's Note:**

> I published this on Q but decided to put all of my random Gintama works here on AO3-- so here it is!
> 
> Just a little reminder, this was my interpretation of the ending to the manga. Of course that's changed now because of the new sudden arc, but hey, who doesn't love some good ol' angst? Especially between my two beautiful bois, oh man...
> 
> But lowkey, this was really self-indulgent because I've been begging Sorachi to let Gin and Sugi hug it out after the war but no-- I didn't get anythinG CRIES T-T

Uneven breaths of air left and entered the silver clad, his body dripping with blood that splattered onto the gravel beneath his feet. His eyes were glued onto the figure before him, who was also drenched in blooming crimson- but they were far more prominent than him. "Taka... sugi..." He mumbled, spitting away the growing clod of blood in his mouth.

His opponent chuckled in reply- which would've sounded much more nicer to the silver haired man if it wasn't laced with weakness. "You gain another win, huh?" He breathed out, sticking his blade into the ground to steady himself. "246 for you... 246 for me... and one tie..."

Gintoki's eyes narrowed. "Dumbass... we're still tied in the end..." The male willed the last of his energy to move his feet forward, using his wooden bokuto to act as a cane. "Neither of us have even dropped down yet..."

Takasugi chuckled once more, and this time, it sounded much more fragile.

Gintoki grimaced at the fact that his comrade was purposely mustering the last of his strength to mock him.

"Even when one of us dies, we'll be haunting the other one until they come join us in Hell." The terrorist smirked, the wind gently blowing at his disheveled purple strands.

The silver clad finally reached his friend, planting his own sword into the ground. "You shitty bastard... you know i'm scared of ghosts..."

"All the more reason to haunt you." Takasugi responded.

Gintoki huffed, narrowing his eyes in disapproval.

There was no way in hell he wanted an asshole like Takasugi to be haunting him— he’d probably do something shitty like bend all of his parfait spoons.

The silver clad mentally sobbed at the imagery. The poor spoons.

However, Gintoki shook away his mindless thoughts to focus on the male before him— and through his blurry vision he could see the terrorist struggling to stay on his feet.

The samurai pondered if he had gone too far, but he brushed it aside. This was the only way.

Yet it was also the most _painful way_.

Gintoki stretched a hand out to Takasugi, curling his fingers in and out as a gesture for his friend to come towards him. Even though the samurai doubted that the one eyed male would even accept his embrace, it was worth a try.

But much to his surprise and sadness, Takasugi gave in and fell into Gintoki's arms-- which by the sudden pressure led the latter to slowly drop him and his friend down onto their knees.

The silver haired embraced his friend and comrade, feeling the man's blood plant themselves onto his calloused palms. Gintoki took in a deep breath, and it came out ragged as he spoke. _"Why..."_

It took a moment for Takasugi to reply, but when he did, it came out almost as a whisper. "You know why, Gintoki."

"Of course I did, dumbass. But what i'm asking is, why did you keep going even after he was _dead?_ "

"Didn't I tell you, Gintoki? I never stopped in destroying this world. Him dying didn't make a difference; it only got rid of an obstacle that was in the way of my goal."

The silver clad's eyes narrowed in sadness as he clutched his friend, relishing the little amount of warmth he had left. "Revenge was meaningless in the first place... you knew that..."

Takasugi opened his mouth, about to object before Gintoki placed a calloused hand onto his head, cutting him off. "You could've thrown as many fists at me as you wanted... Yet you chose to destroy the world along with yourself."

Gintoki felt the purple clad's body freeze, before slowly relaxing in his hold again. He didn't say another word, but Gintoki knew that Takasugi had known all along about what he was doing and _why_.

Just like the silver haired, Takasugi couldn’t let go of the past. The pain and agony watching as Gintoki decapitated their dear teacher, before losing his left eye just as he witnessed his comrade cry for the first time in his _life_.

Yet through it all, Gintoki was still the one who understood Takasugi the most.

The former was the only one who answered Takasugi's pleas for help; no matter how much blood had to be spilled, or how many fists the silver clad had to take. 

Gintoki would stand up and fight again, just as he did those 492 times.

But this was the _conclusion_ — the last fight between him and his dear comrade. He’d no longer have someone perfectly on par with him, nor with the same undying love for Yakulk.

"I just... didn't _imagine_ you to ever..." The silver samurai paused, before closing his mouth. He didn't even want to utter those words, he didn't even want to _associate_ his dear friend with _that_ immortal being.

"Yeah... me neither..." He chuckled in reply.

Gintoki took another deep breath, hugging Takasugi as close to him as possible.

The terrorist glanced at his comrade before a small smile adorned his lips, his shining emerald orb looking up to the midnight sky. "You seem sad.”

"Of course I am, asshole. You're... _my friend_..."

"Oh? That's surprising... Even as the little misfits of Shoka Sonjuku did you never call me _that_...”

"I thought you knew as much..." The silver haired grunted, biting his lip. His sullen crimson gaze searched the blood littered ground, attempting to find the words he wanted to say to the shorter male.

Of course, he didn't want Takasugi's final memories to end with him calling the terrorist an _asshole friend_ ; that he could say at the very least.

Though, maybe the shorter male wouldn’t mind it.

However, nonetheless of what he said, Gintoki still didn't like the fact that these were Takasugi's final moments on Earth.

_"Takasugi-"_

"Have you ever taken the time to stargaze, Gintoki?"

The latter's crimson eyes widened, before narrowing again in agony. "Nah... been awhile since I did..."

Even through the blood blooming onto his torn up yukata, Takasugi's singular emerald orb didn't show the least bit of signs of weakness. His gaze was fixated on the vast blue sky, the glittering specks of white, and the soft mound of silver hair on his shoulder.

The shorter male let out a chuckle- one that didn't hold his usual murderous intent, but one that held a joy that Gintoki was unfamiliar with. "You should... take a look at them after this..."

The silver clad didn't understand why this was Takasugi's final wish, but the tension in his gut told him that his friend knew that he associated the stars with his fallen comrades.

Soon, a new star would be joining the rest in the deep blue skies.

He wanted to shake the thought away. He didn't want to think- _no_ , he didn't want to _believe_ that Takasugi was in the arms of death.

But deep down, Gintoki knew that it was all over now.

"Yeah... I will..." He murmured.

There was one thing for sure, the silver samurai didn't want to send off his friend with a face of agony- _not again_. Takasugi saw the tears Gintoki spilt before he lost his left eye, and never again will the latter send him off with a painful memory such as that.

Gintoki heard Takasugi take in a shallow breath, and he immediately knew that time was running low. The warmth in the shorter male was fading, scarlet leaked and bloomed onto his diamond patterned yukata, and the rusty copper smell of red tainted his nose.

_This was it._

"Takasugi, i'm-"

"Don't apologize, Gintoki. I've... lived a good life."

The terrorist's eyelid wavered, threatening to close.

"It may not have seemed that way but... it was nice."

He gave a final chuckle, a smile adorning his crimson stained lips.

"Thank you, Gintoki. It was nice... to be a disciple of Yoshida Shoyo... and..."

Takasugi's emerald eye dulled as he finally gave into the drowsiness of death.

_"... your friend."_

Takasugi Shinsuke's body went limp, a peaceful smile on his features.

It was then, that the so-called demon named Sakata Gintoki, cried for the second time in his life.

Tears welled up in his crimson orbs and splattered onto the scarlet tainted ground, a small smile adorning his very own lips as he silently cried over his dear comrade.

He was a friend like no other; a complete emo jackass, a person who drank fermented soy milk 24/7.

Yet he was the one who understood the silver haired samurai the most.

However through the pain, Sakata Gintoki's goal had been accomplished in the end; he had finally done it.

To make the man named Takasugi Shinsuke realize that life wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
